Approved in Washington, DC office
DC filers,
Here is a summary of my experiences: We arrived there @ 10:45am for our 11:15am interview. The office had about 10-12 people and my wife and gave the letter to some old lady there. Who seems to be living of the greencards.... Who am I kidding?
We were called at about 11:20am and we were accompanied by a young nice officer to her office. We were sworn in, and she asked for my passport and my wife's passport, copies of joint documentation's proving our relationship: bank statements (4 months), Macy's bill,Verizon & T-Mobile, lease, car insurance and health. I provided her with these documentation and she carefully looked at each one of them and asked questions for clarity. How long is your lease? I gave her two albums, wedding one & another during our courtship dating back to the times when rocks were still wet to enable Moses to write the 10 commandments.
She asked me how we met-and told my wife that I needed to answer. So, I told her how we met, which is none of the forum member's business? Where my wife was living when we met? Where I was living? When last did we take a vacation? What I gave my wife for Xmas? vice versa? Name of my mother-in-law and father-in-law, my wife's sisters and brothers, any relatives whom I have met.
How many people where at our wedding? She was looking at our wedding album, who were the people in attendance? How I got to the wedding, and how my wife got there? Nothing about our honeymoon.... When did my wife graduate from grad school? Which street is the nearest to where we live? Where do I work? What is the name of our Bank? She looked that another album and asked a question about a picture we took in West Palm Beach in 2003.
She took all our documents and went to do the photocopies of a majority of them and was gone for about 7 minutes. Before she left, she gave me two immigration forms to complete: I-566 and I-503 to basically take away my diplomatic privileges and immunities from certain US President executive orders, tax exemptions and other goodies. She came back and asked me my mum's and dad's name, and the famous questions on Page 3 (I-485). I said yes about engaging to espionage in the US.... She said very impressive and bold. She was making a small talk with my wife about how she was going to deny another couple's petition because the husband has a long arrest history and is a liar. She said that she wanted to have our wedding album for herself when she gets married, so my wife told her where can make one.
Finally, she printed a document and explained that we need to file jointly in 2009 to remove conditions since our marriage is 18 months. She stamped all my immigration paperwork with an approval stamp, took my passport and stamped it and told me to wait for my plastic card in the mail by December because they are now being manufactured in Burma, and due to recent unrest, there is a backlog.
My disappointed was on the fact that I no longer have access to diplomatic privileges and tax-exemptions. I am relieved that I don't have to set my foot or see an immigration office for a long-time. When I am ready to file for removal of conditions, I am going to send them a 60lbs case full of documents, so that they can leave me alone. I hope my experiences will help someone.
